▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Riverside ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Eye of the Soundscape █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-04-16 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Inside Out Music ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ æEye of the SoundscapeÆ is a unique album. ItÆs █ █ unique within the Riverside catalogue; while the █ █ sounds here are not completely out of left field █ █ for the band, instrumental electronic ambient █ █ music has not been RiversideÆs hallmark, either. █ █ The album also occupies a unique place within █ █ music history, arriving as a transitional album █ █ that was actually planned as such. The death of █ █ guitarist Piotr Grudzinski adds weight and sadness █ █ to the albumÆs release, but the presentation of █ █ the music was conceived and carried through by the █ █ full band. So itÆs a tribute album of sorts, █ █ albeit one that did not have to be cobbled █ █ together after the loss of a band member. █ █ Really, though, the only context needed here is █ █ the setting of appropriate expectations: yes, this █ █ is an ambient electronic album. There are lots of █ █ guitar parts but few riffs or solos; keys galore █ █ but more atmospheric texture than proggy pomp; █ █ prominent drums and bass but largely foregoing a █ █ standard rhythm section in favor of layered █ █ percussion and cyclical grooving. If that sounds █ █ like your thing, youÆll like this album. If it █ █ doesnÆtàwell, this might be the album that changes █ █ your mind. █ █ The four new songs comprise an LPÆs worth of music █ █ on their own, but are worked into the track █ █ listing alongside previously released bonus █ █ material, to good effect. ôWhere the River Flowsö █ █ is an excellent opener featuring atmospheric █ █ synths and sinister flourishes fit for a cinematic █ █ thriller. These moods give way to metallic █ █ percussion, spaghetti-western guitar, and █ █ eventually to some rounding moog-y keys and vocal █ █ loops. The progression foreshadows many of the █ █ sounds and structures to come, though not as an █ █ overture or template. Likewise, the title track █ █ ends the proceedings on a subdued, exploratory █ █ note. ôEye of the Soundscapeö embodies the spirit █ █ of the whole album in its patient unfolding that █ █ in turn calls for patient attention from its █ █ listeners. █ █ Among the previously released tracks, ôNight █ █ Session- Part Twoö is a standout that sounds very █ █ much like something David Gilmour and Richard █ █ Wright would have come up with during rehearsals █ █ for the On An Island album. The Dick Parry-esque █ █ saxophone featured throughout adds to this vibe. █ █ ôRainbow Trip (2016 Mix),ö previously released █ █ only as a single in Poland, further diversifies █ █ the music while maintaining a unified, atmospheric █ █ mood with its album-mates. Restrained kit-work and █ █ mixed-forward grooving bass carry the music ahead █ █ while dancey synths and vocal loops play above; █ █ this all sets up one of the few ætrueÆ guitar █ █ solos on the album, which is rather █ █ Gilmour-inspired in its use of tone and delay. And █ █ veering ever-so-slightly again in another █ █ direction, the band explores a kind of ambient █ █ world music vibe on ôAetherö with its snare █ █ reverb, electronic percussion, and sinuous bass. █ █ File æEye of the SoundscapeÆ under ômusic for a █ █ quiet, contemplative evening.ö ItÆs not the kind █ █ of ambient album that you put on while you █ █ sleepùthereÆs too much energy, noise, and a few █ █ sinister shadows for thatùbut neither is it loud █ █ or beat-driven enough to get much attention from █ █ the æhouseÆ electronic scene. It feels like a █ █ dark, quiet, cold, wintry nightùthe kind where the █ █ dark and the quiet and the cold and wintriness of █ █ it all are as heavy and meaningful as the quilt █ █ around your shoulders and the book on your lap as █ █ you read by firelight deep into the early morning. █ █ It suits a particular mood and setting, but it █ █ fits that mood and setting to a T. For fans of the █ █ band Riverside, this album takes what might have █ █ been overlooked as bonus material and works it █ █ into a cohesive structure that deepens the bandÆs █ █ catalogue. For fans of progressive music, it █ █ diversifies the genreÆs offerings and serves as a █ █ gentler alternative to the bombardment of 70Æs █ █ classic rock and 90Æs metal influenced sounds. █ █ Cozy up, tune in, chill out. Enjoy. █ █ █ █ Key Tracks: Where the River Flows, Night Session - █ █ Part Two, Rainbow Trip (2016 Mix), Eye of the █ █ Soundscape, Sleepwalkers █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ CD 1/2 : ░ ░ 1. Where the River Flows 10:54 ░ ░ 2. Shine 4:10 ░ ░ 3. Rapid Eye Movement (2016 Mix) 12:41 ░ ░ 4. Night Session - Part One 10:40 ░ ░ 5. Night Session - Part Two 11:34 ░ ░ CD 2/2 : ░ ░ 1. Sleepwalkers 7:20 ░ ░ 2. Rainbow Trip (2016 Mix) 6:20 ░ ░ 3. Heavenland 5:00 ░ ░ 4. Return 6:50 ░ ░ 5. Aether 8:44 ░ ░ 6. Machines 3:54 ░ ░ 7. Promise 2:44 ░ ░ 8. Eye of the Soundscape 11:29 ░ ░ 102:20 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░